Measurement of Acceleration Using an Instrumented Railgun Projectile
Abstract
An instrumented package has been accelerated in a railgun projectile to measure the inbore acceleration as a function of time. Direct, continuous acceleration profiles have been repeatedly obtained with this package during electromagnetic launch and downrange soft catch. These proof-of-principle experiments were conducted using a square bore railgun and off-the-shelf components for the in situ measurement, digitization, and storage of acceleration data. A continuous record of the entire launch event clearly shows gas injection, electromagnetic propulsion, and downrange deceleration in a soft catch recovery system. The launch package was subject to peak accelerations of nearly 30 kilogees (2.8 X 105m/s2 in the electromagnetic propulsion phase of the launch. Velocity and position data obtained through integration of this data are correlated with velocity data derived from conventional static diagnostic (e.g., magnetic flux loops) to validate the technique. The peak acceleration was slightly more than anticipated from the electrical current delivered to the railgun, and this deviation is examined. The paper presents a description of the experimental apparatus, acquired data, a comparison of the data with code simulations, and suggestions for future work. Railgun, Electromagnetic Launcher, Electromagnetic Acceleration.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA253366
Entities
People
- Donald Littrell
- Keith A. Jamison
- Michael J. Fernandez
- Roger D. Hudson
- Scott A. Ager
Organizations
- Leidos